Why does our society have deviants? Conflict theorists believe that the answer has more to do with the balance of power rather than social interactions. They would rather investigate the forces that underlie a particular moral crusade than investigate the influence of the social world.¹

Conflict theorists posit that the typical relationship among groups in society is one of competition and conflict.¹Karl Marx, the father of conflict theory did not really have any works on deviant behavior but wrote about the alienation that workers or the proletariat experience.

Deviant actions are actions or behaviours that do not follow social norms or formally enacted rules. Conflict theories focus on the social, political and economic inequalities of social groups and believe these inequalities drive people to deviance.¹ The fundamental causes of crime are the social and economic forces operating within society. Realistically, it is the powerful people who define crime and create laws as instruments of oppression.¹

The Pluck et al (2012) study shows a positive correlation between mental illness and homelessness but it is unclear as to whether the mental illness led to homelessness or homelessness led to the mental illness.
Is it possible that some of the homeless have experienced a traumatic event or harsh conditions that may have led